Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Chapter 372: Giovanni’s Relief

With the arrival of Giovanni and more than a hundred thousand warriors, Harune’s troops left the mountain pass without hesitation.

However, Giovanni didn’t plan to let them leave without making them suffer.

Under his command, they chased after the retreating enemy troops and harassed them continuously for several miles.

This assault resulted in the deaths of over twenty thousand warriors from Harune’s side.

Giovanni was still unsatisfied, but he no longer pursued the enemies since they had traveled far from Aklan Pass. He was worried that Harune had more troops hidden somewhere so he ordered his army to return to the mountain pass.

“We are heading back! Sound the horns!” He shouted as he stared at the enemies who were moving further and further away.

Braam!!

At the sound of the horns, Giovanni’s troops turned around and headed back to Aklan Pass.

Upon their return, they saw the aftermath of the battle. There were dead bodies scattered all over the place. The green mountains were drenched in blood and the vast grasslands had turned into hell.

It was bloody and gruesome. The strong scent of blood would make even the toughest man frown in disgust.

Lifting his head, Giovanni saw the few thousand survivors sitting in the middle of the corpses, tired and exhausted.

“Tend to the injured and check if there are any survivors!”

“Healers, prioritize those with severe injuries and leave the rest to the doctors!”

“The rest of you, make sure that all enemies are dead! Stab their heads if necessary!”

Giovanni issued a series of commands.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Everyone immediately moved separately to complete their respective duties.

“It is a miracle that they survived that battle.” Andre’s lamenting voice echoed behind him.

Giovanni nodded in agreement. If he were in their position, he didn’t know if he would survive.

“Where is Alaric? Find him for me.” He ordered as he looked at the faces of the corpses, a strange wave of unease gripping his heart.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

He once treated Alaric as an enemy, but things had changed in the past few weeks.

You are not dead, are you?

He thought to himself.

As they marched along the corpse-ridden mountain pass, they soon found themselves at the foot of the fortress.

Most of the survivors were gathered here and they were being treated by the healers and doctors.

At this moment, a warrior rushed towards Giovanni on horseback with an urgent look on his face. “Your Highness, I found His Highness Alaric! He is being treated at the fortress as we speak!”

Hearing this, Giovanni furrowed his eyebrows.

“Take me there.” He told the warrior.

The warrior brought them to the fortress.

Giovanni and his subordinates frowned upon seeing the collapsed walls and the broken barracks.

“What a disaster…” Someone remarked in a gloomy tone.

A moment later, they arrived at the main square where the corpses of their comrades were gathered.

Some bodies had missing limbs, while some were no longer recognizable.

The sight of their bodies filled Giovanni and his men with grief.

“Aru, please guide them to your kingdom.” Someone solemnly prayed.

Soon, they arrived at the makeshift tents where the injured were being treated.

They could hear the screams of the warriors who were receiving treatment as well as the cries of those who had lost their brothers and friends.

Giovanni’s heart was heavy as he headed to where Alaric was being treated.

“Your Highness!”

Everyone greeted Giovanni upon seeing him. They were grateful for his timely arrival. If they had come late, the fortress would have been destroyed and none of them might have survived.

Upon entering the tent, Giovanni saw two men lying on the floor grimacing as their wounds were being patched up.

He recognized them both despite their haggard appearance.

“Alaric, Sir Galanar… I am glad to see you both safe.” Giovanni breathed a sigh of relief.

Hearing his words, Alaric turned his head and forced a smile. “You arrived on time, Giovanni.”

Giovanni crouched and inspected Alaric’s wounds. “How do you feel?”

“What do you think?” Alaric retorted while grimacing.

Giovanni chuckled. He tapped Alaric’s shoulder, making the latter hiss in pain.

“Good job, Alaric. You guys defended the fortress well.”

Andre who was watching this interaction sent Giovanni a strange look. He had never seen the second prince act this warmly in front of someone.

“What are we going to do now?” Giovanni asked in a low voice.

On their way here, he received a report that only twelve thousand warriors had survived from the fifty thousand men in the fortress.

It was a heavy loss.

Alaric was silent for a moment. This was because he received a notification from the system.

___

Mission Complete!

Rewards: 1500 Battle Points, 30 Stat Points, 30 EXP, Random Trait Card x1

___

[Do you want to use your Random Trait Card?]

[Yes] [No]

Alaric chose no and closed the system with a thought.

However, another system notification popped up in front of his eyes.

___

Mission: Harune’s Invasion II

Mission Difficulty: Hard

Forced to retreat from Aklan Pass, Harune’s higher-ups are furious. They will launch another attack after recuperating their losses! Defend the fortress and don’t let them gain control over the mountain pass!

Mission Rewards: 1500 Battle Points, 30 Stat Points, 30 EXP, Random Trait Upgrade Card x1

___

They still haven’t given up on Aklan Pass…

The mountain pass was a strategic location. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Whoever took control of the mountain pass would have the advantage in the coming battles.

Thinking about this, he stared at Giovanni and replied in a grim voice. “No matter what happens, we must defend Aklan Pass! Once they take control of the mountains, they would gain a foothold which would be difficult to take back!”

Giovanni took a deep breath and frowned. Alaric’s words were true, but they were up against an army that was almost four times their size.

After some thought, Giovanni eventually nodded his head. “Alright. We will defend the mountain pass.”

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